A motor vehicle includes, in a known manner, a plurality of wheels each having, with reference to FIG. 1, a wheel rim 1 (shown partially), a tire (not shown) and an inflation valve 10 for said tire that is assembled on said wheel rim 1 via an orifice.
Such a valve 10 includes an inflation duct in the form of a hollow rod 11 extending along a longitudinal axis XX, on a portion of which is mounted a deformable rubber body 12 of annular section. Again with reference to FIG. 1, this body 12 includes a first shoulder 13 mounted on the outside EXT of the wheel rim 1 and a second shoulder 14 mounted on the inside INT of the wheel rim 1. Between the first shoulder 13 and the second shoulder 14 is defined a groove 15 for immobilizing the valve 10 in the wheel rim 1, the diameters of the first shoulder 13 and of the second shoulder 14 both being greater than the diameter of the orifice in the wheel rim 1 and the diameter of the immobilizing groove 15 being equal to the diameter of the orifice when the valve 10 is assembled in the wheel rim 1 so as to ensure that the join between same is sealed.
During assembly of the valve 10, same is inserted into the orifice via the inside INT of the wheel rim 1, then the body 12 is pulled or the rod 11 is pushed towards the outside EXT of the wheel rim 1 in order to temporarily deform the first shoulder 13 to enable same to pass through the orifice, thereby positioning said orifice in the immobilizing groove 15. When the body 12 is released, the first shoulder 13 substantially returns to the original shape of same and the valve 10 is assembled on the wheel rim 1, same being immobilized in the immobilizing groove 15 between the first shoulder 13 and the second shoulder 14.
Nowadays, it is known to measure different parameters of the tires of a motor vehicle, notably to inform the user of the condition of same and to warn the user of any anomalies. Such parameters may for example be the pressure inside the tire, the temperature of same, etc. For this purpose, it is known to assemble a sensor device on each valve including one or more sensors designed to measure these parameters and wireless communication means designed to send the measurements to a processor in the vehicle, to process same and, if necessary, inform the user. Such a sensor device is assembled in a known manner on the extremity of the valve rod located in the space inside the tire of each wheel.
A module 5 for measuring at least one parameter of a tire including a valve 10 (not shown) and a sensor device 20 assembled slidingly on said valve 10 before same is assembled on a wheel rim 1 are known from patent application FR 2 993 823 A1 and with reference to FIG. 2. In order to immobilize the sensor device 20 on the hollow rod 11, the rod 11 has a first notch 16 and a second notch 17 and the sensor device 20 has an immobilizing wire 21. This immobilizing wire 21 is held under tension against the rod 11 to prevent the sensor device 20 from sliding on the rod 11 when it is positioned in the first notch 16 or in the second notch 17. The first notch 16 and the second notch 17 thereby define distinct positions enabling the module 5 to be assembled on wheel rims 1 of different thicknesses, for example between 1.5 and 5 mm. In a “delivery” position, the sensor device 20 is mounted on the hollow rod 11 of the valve 10 as close as possible to the second shoulder 14 (with reference to FIG. 1) of the valve 10, without the immobilizing wire 21 being positioned in the first notch 16 or the second notch 17. Thus, when assembling the valve 10 on the wheel rim 1, when the valve 10 bearing against the wheel rim 1 is pulled, the sensor device 20 slides on the rod 11 under the effect of the stretching of the body 12 of the valve 10, until the immobilizing wire 21 is positioned in the first notch 16.
However, such a module 5 has several drawbacks. Effectively, when sliding the rod 11 into the sensor device 20, the immobilizing wire 21 of the sensor device 20 is immobilized in the first notch 16. Consequently, if the wheel rim 1 is thin, corresponding to the position of the first notch 16, the valve 10 moves directly to the assembly position of same. However, if the wheel rim 1 is thicker, the immobilizing wire 21 is immobilized in the first notch 16 before the first shoulder 13 has passed all the way through the orifice of the wheel rim 1. In this defective position, the valve 10 is not in the assembly position, notably preventing a sealed join between the valve 10 and the wheel rim 1. It is then necessary to remove the immobilizing wire 21 from the first notch 16 in order to enable the sensor device 20 to slide and to enable deformation of the body 12 of the valve 10 in order to assemble the valve 10 into the assembly position of same in the orifice. The sensor device 20 then slides until the immobilizing wire 21 is immobilized in a second notch 17, thereby enabling the valve 10 to reach the assembly position of same. Such an operation to release the immobilizing wire 21 requires a tool and operator intervention, which may be complex and time-consuming, and does not guarantee locking. Furthermore, since the first notch 16 and the second notch 17 define two distinct positions, if the wheel rim 1 is of intermediate thickness, the immobilizing wire 21 falls between the two notches 16, 17, thereby preventing immobilization of the sensor device 20 or only enabling same to be immobilized in the second notch 17.